[iceskater]

Isn't this the painting that Sargeant had originally shown the strap of the gown draping down her arm? IIRC, it was considered so scandalous that he had to change it as it is now. I'm thinking there's a lot of backstory to this painting which, of course, I can't remember! Then again, I could be thinking of a different painting. I saw the Sargeant exhibition at the National Gallery in 98 or 99. There were so many paintings and I may be getting some of them confused.

[AnAmericanMother]

It wasn't just the painting itself. The subject of the painting was fairly notorious -- Mme Gautreau. She wore lavender makeup (foundation I mean, not eyeshadow or blush) and one strap of her gown down . . . she was a Professional Beauty, in other words just at the borderline of the demimonde.

Here is the painting as it originally appeared: